AANA will debut the AANA J. Whit Ewing, M.D. Simulation Room in the Orthopaedic Learning Center (OLC) in Rosemont, Illinois with a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Oct. 4. The room is named in honor of the late J. Whit Ewing, M.D., a founding member of AANA, former AANA president and pioneer of the "hands-on" advanced skills courses that AANA still offers today.
The high-tech room, a welcomed addition to AANA's resume of innovative arthroscopic education opportunities, is equipped with eight ArthroS™ simulators provided by AANA's partner, VirtaMed, a Switzerland-based company that develops virtual reality simulators for orthopaedic training. The simulators give users the ability to select a module by joint (knee, shoulder or hip) or to refine motor skills with the Fundamentals of Arthroscopy Surgery Training (FAST) Program and review general arthroscopy concepts as if it were on a real-life cadaver. Over the last two years, AANA's expert workgroups have worked with VirtaMed to introduce new pathologies and improve proximal feedback.
"AANA has always taken tremendous strides in offering premier education to its lab course attendees and members, so the addition of the Simulation Room was a natural next step," says Laura Downes, CAE, AANA CEO.
While arthroscopy education has expanded and evolved over the years, AANA continues to have a firm commitment to providing advanced education and improving patient outcomes. Simulator users can run cases tailored to their learning needs for the most personalized learning experience available.
"Our simulators allow repetitive practice, tailored to each surgeon's individual needs with feedback on performance and how to perfect skills," says Joseph Tauro, M.D., AANA Learning Center Committee Chair. "They are very realistic and are a big part of the future of learning and perfecting surgical skills."
No matter joint preference or length of time in practice, the AANA J. Whit Ewing, M.D. Simulation Room will offer a convenient place for Orthopaedic Surgeons to refine old techniques – and practice new ones, too.